With efforts on promoting sustainability and green technology slowly becoming more adamant in the construction industry, there is also a need to educate the future generation of construction professionals (engineers, architects, contractors, etc.,) with how they can apply green building technology to the structures that they are to make.
In 2019, the Advanced Energy and Green Building Technologies Curriculum Act was put into law by President Rodrigo Duterte to help efforts in providing education on advanced energy and green building technology to the next wave of construction professionals.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look at Advanced Energy and Green Building Technologies Curriculum Act or RA11393 to see what it entails.
What is the Republic Act 11393?
Republic Act 11393 (RA11393) is the Advanced Energy and Green Building Technologies Curriculum Act, signed into law by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2019. This law requires creating an advanced energy and green building technologies curriculum for undergraduate and graduate students.
Under this law, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will work with the Department of Energy (DOE) and CHED-recognized higher education institutions to develop a curriculum focusing on preparing students for careers in advanced energy and green building technologies. This way, future engineers, architects, and urban planners can apply skills in natural resource conservation, design resilience, as well as the sustainable design and building practices to their future endeavors in the field.
CHED, in collaboration with DOE, was also tasked to develop a graduate education curriculum related to energy research and development with specifications on advanced energy technology research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities.
Republic Act 11393: What Is It For?
The RA11393 aims to help higher education institutions in preparing the next generation of design and construction professionals as well as educating existing architects, engineers, landscape engineers and architects, and planners, to be adept in incorporating advanced energy and green building technologies in the design and construction of high performance or green buildings.
Under RA11393, the DOE will also contribute funds to CHED’s curriculum development activities, including research, development, and commercial application activities, endorsed by the DOE in relation to high-performance buildings.
In awarding grants regarding the contributed funds by the DOE, CHED will prioritize applications to:
A.) Higher education institutions whose departments, programs, centers, or schools of engineering are prominent in the engineering and architecture education (including city, regional, or urban planning)
B.) Higher education institution with programs, centers, or schools of engineering with partnerships with other institutions which are considered being prominent in the engineering and architecture education (including city, regional, or urban planning)
Advanced Energy and Green Building Technologies Curriculum Act: Defining Terms
Republic Act 11393 has a specific set of terms, defined as such:
- Advanced energy refers to services and technologies that are both established and emerging which are delivering an energy system for the 21st century and are recognized to be secure, clean, and affordable.
- Green building is a building which reduces or eliminates the negative impact on climate and natural environment of an area or country and one that can create a positive impact. It is designed, constructed, or operated in a way that it helps to preserve natural resources nad improve the quality of life.
- Green building technology is used to refer to the technology or processes which are resource-efficient and environmentally responsible throughout the lifecycle of a building from its design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. This would require the close coordination and cooperation of engineers, architects, contractors, and the clients at all stages of the project. The building should also expand and compliment the classical building design in terms of economy, utility, durability, and comfort.
- High performance building is a type of green building focusing singularly on energy performance. It integrates and optimizes all major high-performance building attributes, including that of life-cycle performance, occupant productivity, durability, and energy efficiency.
The Republic Act 11393 would benefit the construction industry by providing future generations of architects, contractors, and engineers knowing that they need to construct high performance buildings that will not only help to better the quality of life but also to ensure that the natural environment of an area is well taken care of. It also ensures that there will be no negative impacts on the climate and other natural aspects that surround the building.
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Sources:
- Republic Act No. 11393. (n.d.). Lawphil.net. https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2019/ra_11393_2019.html
- Home | GOVPH. (n.d.). Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/
- Corrales, N. (2019, August 28). Duterte signs law for advanced energy, green building technologies curriculum. INQUIRER.net. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1158539/duterte-signs-law-for-advanced-energy-green-building-technologies-curriculum
- Parrocha, A. (2019, August 28). PRRD signs law on advanced energy, green building tech curriculum. Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1078951
- Lopez, V. (2019, August 28). Duterte signs law on curriculum dev’t on advanced energy, green buildings. GMA News Online. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/706091/duterte-signs-law-on-curriculum-dev-t-on-advanced-energy-green-buildings/story/
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